Balancing toy set

ABSTRACT

A skill type toy which includes hollow circus or other animal figures which are partially filled with sand or other weighting fluent material such that the figures may be successively placed or stacked one on top of the other and balanced by positionally adjusting the distribution of the weighting fluent material within the figures.

United States Patent Morrison et al.

BALANCING TOY SET Inventors: Howard J. Morrison, Deerfield;

Donald F. Nix, Hanover Park, both of [11.

Marvin Glass & Associates, Chicago, 111.

Filed: Sept. 26, 1973 Appl. No.: 400,982

Assignee:

U.S. Cl. 46/22; 46/155; 46/158 Int. Cl A63h 15/06 Field of Search 46/22,131, 155, 16, 23, 46/24, 158

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1927 Sargent 46/22 51 May 27,1975 2,937,872 5/1960 Gilmarl 46/155 2,997,810 8/1961 Bellas 46/1583,400,932 9/1968 Conrad 46/24 Primary Examiner-Louis G. ManceneAssistant ExaminerRobert F. Cutting Attorney, Agent. or Firm-Coffee &Sweeney [57] ABSTRACT A skill type toy which includes hollow circus orother animal figures which are partially filled with sand or otherweighting fluent material such that the figures may be successivelyplaced or stacked one on top of the other and balanced by positionallyadjusting the distribution of the weighting fluent material within thefigures 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures BALANCING TOY SET BACKGROUND ANDSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to toysand in particular to a balancing figure toy set in which a de gree ofskill is required in the balancing of figure type playing pieces on topof each other.

Toys of skill which require careful manipulation of playing pieces bythe players have long been a favorite with children as well as adults.Prior toys or toy sets in clude building blocks, rings. interlockingdevices, and the like.

The present invention relates particularly to a toy set which involvesthe balancing of playing pieces. one on top of the other, with theplaying pieces being formed in the shape of animals, circus figures, orother irregular shapes. The playing pieces are hollow, formed of plasticor other similar material, and are only partially filled with weightingfluent material, such as sand.

The primary object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a toy setwherein the balancing of playing pieces depends upon positioning as wellas distribution of the weighting fluent material.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription of the selected embodiment illustrated in the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of two ofthe playing pieces of this invention. one balanced on top of the other;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of three stacked playing pieces of thisinvention;

FIG. 3 is another elevational view of four stacked playing pieces ofthis invention;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view through one of the playing piecesshowing the location of the weighting fluent material; and

FIG. 5 is a section taken generally along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The toy of this inventionincludes a plurality of playing pieces formed in the shape of circusanimals or other figures as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Each playingpiece has two generally flat side walls 14 whose perimeter is formed inan irregular manner such as to represent a particular animal or circusfigure. The side walls 14 of each playing piece are separated by acontinuous irregular surrounding wall 16 which is formed perpendicularlywith both side walls 14 and follows the shape of the perimeter of theside walls 14. The side walls l4 and the surrounding wall 16 form ahollow enclosure representing a particular figure. The side walls 14 mayalso contain indicia thereon to represent more lifelike characters. asshown in FIGS. 1-3.

During manufacture of the playing pieces a fluent weighting material 20,such as sand or the like, is introduced into the hollow interior of theplaying pieces such as to only partially fill the pieces.

Each wall 16 also is provided with a plurality of flat surface portions22 for engagement with a table top or other supporting surface as wellas with similar surfaces on other playing pieces for stacking pruposes.As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the playing pieces also can be stacked andremain in equilibrium if points along the curved surrounding walls 16are in contact with the ground or other supporting surface 28. as at 30,or an adjacent playing piece. as at 32. Actually a point along theperiphery of walls 14 as viewed in FIGS. l-3 is a straight line or edgeacross the surrounding wall 16. Thus when two points" are in contactwith the supporting surface 28, as in FIGS. 2 and 3, two spacedsupporting edges are provided to self-support the lowermost playingpiece. More skill is required to balance the pieces when a single pointor edge provides the stacking engagement between the pieces. as in inFIG. I and the uppermost stacked piece in FIG. 3. In order to permitbalancing on a single edge. the edge must have some finite width ratherthan being a very sharp edge.

The fluent weighting material 20 is provided in order that balancing ofadjacent playing pieces can be achieved by a particular distribution ofthe fluent weighting material 20 which moves or displaces the center ofgravity of the playing pieces in an attempt to maintain equilibrium instacking the pieces. By adjusting the center of gravity ofa particularplaying piece in this manner, a playing piece can be balanced uponanother subjacent playing piece in a position which would not be inequilibrium were it not for the fluid material.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a playing piece which is provided with a convex ordome-shaped surface portion 36 which can be utilized for balancingpurposes and about which the playing piece can be spun or rocked, whichthe proper distribution of the fluent material 20.

While the playing pieces have been described in connection with aspecific embodiment, it is contemplated that various modifications andvariations will occur to those familiar with the art without departingfrom the principles of this invention. For instance, any variety andshape of playing pieces can be employed other than the figures shown inthe drawings.

We claim:

1. A balancing toy set, comprising: a plurality of substantially hollowrigid playing pieces only partially filled with fluent material so as tobe shiftable within the playing pieces and. therefore. the playingpieces being capable of being stacked one on top of another in variouspositions and sequences by shifting the center of gravity of the playingpieces to maintain equilibrium.

2. The toy set of claim 1 wherein at least some of said playing piecesare irregularly shaped.

3. The toy set of claim 2 wherein at least some of said playing piecesare in the form of various animal figures.

4. A balancing toy set. comprising: a plurality of substantially hollowrigid playing pieces of irregular shape formed by a pair of generallyparallel flat side walls, the perimeters of which define said irregularshape, said side walls being joined at said perimeters by a surroundingwall providing surface portions for engagement to stack the playingpieces, and a fluent material only partially filling at least some ofsaid playing pieces so as to be shiftable within the playing pieces sothat the playing pieces are capable of being stacked one on top ofanother.

5. The toy set of claim 4 wherein the surrounding wall of at least someof said playing pieces is formed with at least one generally flatsurface for stacking purposes.

6. The toy set of claim 4 wherein the surrounding wall of at least oneof said playing pieces is formed with at least one convex surfaceportion.

7. The toy set of claim 6 wherein said convex surface portion isdome-shaped.

1. A balancing toy set, comprising: a plurality of substantially hollow rigid playing pieces only partially filled with fluent material so as to be shiftable within the playing pieces and, therefore, the playing pieces being capable of being stacked one on top of another in various positions and sequences by shifting the center of gravity of the playing pieces to maintain equilibrium.
 2. The toy set of claim 1 wherein at least some of said playing pieces are irregularly shaped.
 3. The toy set of claim 2 wherein at least some of said playing pieces are in the form of various animal figures.
 4. A balancing toy set, comprising: a plurality of substantially hollow rigid playing pieces of irregular shape formed by a pair of generally parallel flat side walls, the perimeters of which define said irregular shape, said side walls being joined at said perimeters by a surrounding wall providing surface portions for engagement to stack the playing pieces, and a fluent material only partially filling at least some of said playing pieces so as to be shiftable within the playing pieces so that the playing pieces are capable of being stacked one on top of another.
 5. The toy set of claim 4 wherein the surrounding wall of at least some of said playing pieces is formed with at least one generally flat surface for stacking purposes.
 6. The toy set of claim 4 wherein the surrounding wall of at least one of said playing pieces is formed with at least one convex surface portion.
 7. The toy set of claim 6 wherein said convex surface portion is dome-shaped. 